COVINGTON, Va. (WSLS 10) — Constant rain Thursday in downtown Covington left many parts of the city under water.

Near the intersection of South Craig Avenue and West Hawthorne Street, several homes sat in about four feet of floodwaters. The water appeared to be receding.

Many people in the neighborhood have evacuated seeking shelter somewhere dry and out of danger. Those who stayed in the area are waiting for the power to be restored.

We also visited the intersection along East Chestnut Street and South Lexington Avenue. Earlier in the evening around 7 p.m. floodwaters sat 10-feet high forcing drivers to take alternative routes. Since then, the water level has decreased.

Driving by different areas of the city, we saw community members helping others out of the floodwaters.

Now, many are amazed at the sheer amount of flooding and compare this to the flood of 1985 when the water level crest at 23.3 feet.

“I’m completely amazed,” said Brady Rapp, who works downtown at Coving Truck Shop. “I’ve never see the water this high in Covingtom ever. It’s worse than ’85 I think. Or it has the potential to be.”

“They’ve had it blocked off before when we got heavy rain but nothing like this,” said Chris Rohr, a Covington native. “It hadn’t been like this since ’85.”

The Jackson River flooding has the potential to crest to a near-record of 23.1 feet.

For now, the rain has stopped. Neighbors tell us they’re hoping it stays this way as many are bailing water out their homes and places of work.